Author: Donna Herman

If the reason you go to musicals is for the musical numbers, “Midnight at the Never Get,” presented by the York Theatre Company, is a sure bet. The songs are absolutely gorgeous – every single one of them. The music and lyrics are written by Mark Sonnenblick, winner of a 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant. Set in an illegal, underground gay cabaret in Greenwich Village in the mid to late 1960’s, the songs are reminiscent of the Great American Songbook with clever, moving lyrics and haunting, hummable melodies.

“Popcorn Falls” is an actor’s dream of a play. So, it’s no surprise that the playwright, James Hindman, is also an actor. As is first-time director, Christian Borle. And I must say, they all combine to do the theatrical arts proud in this charming, funny and clever evening at the Davenport Theatre.

I’ve seen a lot of funny plays, but I don’t remember laughing as much as I did while watching the American premiere of Richard Bean’s “The Nap” since well, his last Broadway outing “One Man, Two Guvnors.” Which, despite the fact that I’m not usually a fan of slapstick British humor, I saw twice. I think I like The Nap even better – it’s sophisticated, adult humor that doesn’t rely on pratfalls or banana peel physicality to get laughs.

You may have a hard time remembering the name of Craig Lucas’ new play – “I Was Most Alive With You.” But once you see it, you’ll never forget the play itself. While the subject matter is one that has been fascinating for millennia, the production is startlingly original and creative. Lucas’ two inspirations for this play are the biblical story of Job; in the face of unimaginable and undeserving pain and suffering, how do we have faith and believe in a just and loving God? And the deaf actor Russell Harvard, who he saw in Nina Raine’s Tribes, and pledged to write a show for.

Our current President may have gotten elected by promising to “drain the swamp,” but when it comes to corruption, DC has nothing on Albany, NY’s long-standing reputation for misdeeds. But Sharr White’s riveting new play “The True,” set in 1977 during the penultimate mayoral campaign of Erastus Corning II’s (Michael McKean) 40+ years in office, brushes aside the corruption whispers. Instead, the picture painted by his chief fixer and confidant, Polly Noonan (Edie Falco), is a Democratic Party with heart, that cares. And expects loyalty in the voting booth in return.